Shaping extendibility: The influence of circular versus angular shapes on consumer brand extension evaluation

Yi Wu, Yuanyuan Cai, Xiaohan Zhou and Xinyi Huang

Journal of Business Research, 2024, vol. 171, issue C

Abstract: This study proposed a novel sensory marketing strategy (shape cues) to alter consumers’ reactions to distant brand extensions. Across five studies, circular (vs. angular) shapes lead to a more favorable overall evaluation of distant rather than close brand extensions. These effects are mediated sequentially by consumers’ cognitive flexibility and fit perceptions. In line with the “cognitive flexibility” account, this study found that the influence of shapes on brand extension evaluation diminishes when a sub-branding strategy is adopted to introduce the extension product. When a direct-branding strategy was used, shape was not affected. These effects were replicated across different product categories and cultures using different approaches to demonstrate shape cues, and employing both fictitious and real brand stimuli. In addition, theoretical and managerial implications were also discussed.

Keywords: Shape; Circular; Angular; Brand extension; Cognitive flexibility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296323007257
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:171:y:2024:i:c:s0148296323007257

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114366

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Business Research is currently edited by A. G. Woodside

More articles in Journal of Business Research from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().